Advertising exhibitor



- April 2, 1929. A. J. KAUFFMAN 1,707,861

ADVERTISING EXHIBITOR Filed June 11, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. flJfi'awffmarz,

. ATTORNEY April 2, 1929. A. J. KAUFFMAN ADVERTISING EXHIBITOR 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed June 11, 1928 @WWL A T TURN E Y.

Patented Apr. 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES ALBERT JOHN KAUFFMAN, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

ADVERTISING EXHIBITOR.

Application filed June 11,

The present invention consists of an advertising exhibitor for use in displaying advertising data, especially in public service vehicles and is designed as an improvement over my co-pending application, Serial No. 224;-

856, filed October 8, 1927.

Objects of the invention are to provide means for simultaneously displaying two or more advertisements, in a conspicuous place in a vehicle, which are periodically replaced by new advertisements during the movement of the vehicle; to selectively display advertisements in multiple, in the vehicle, replacement of the advertisements being automatically effected directly or indirectly by a movable part of the vehicle with which the'advertisements are operatively connected; and to provide a compact structure which may be embodied .in a vehicle without detracting from the appearance of the latter without interfering with the operation of the vehicle.

From the following description of the invention it will be apparent that the device is susceptible of a variety of uses, the present form of the invention simply illustrating a preferred use which is illustrated to advantage in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1, is a front elevational view of the advertising device constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the front of the casing and the advertising plates removed in order to disclose details;

Figure 2, is a longitudinal sectional view of the device, showing the advertising plates in top plan;

Figure 3, is a transverse fragmentary sectional View of the invention, showing the advertising plates in end elevation Figure 4:, is a fragmentary side elevation view ofthe carriage constituting a part of the present invention;

Figure 5, is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 6, is a detail fragmentary hori zontal sectional View taken through the easing, showing the manner of operating the carriage.

Figure 7, is a similar View showing manner of drive shaft engaging sprocket in one direction only.

Figure 8, is a perspective view of one of the advertising plates with the indicia carrying card removed therefrom.

Figure 9, is a fragmentary perspective view of the platform showing one of the plate supports and one of the stops superimposed thereon; and,

1928. Serial No. 284,468.

Figure 10, is a detail fragi'nentary bottom plan view of the carriage, showing to adinstance is shown to be of oblong configura' tion. The casing is relatively flat so as to occupy a minimum amount of space and is adapted, when used on a public service vehicle, to be inserted in a conspicuous place in the wall of the vehicle. however, that the device may be mounted in, or constitute a part of the taXimeter of the vehicle or be attached to or constitute part of any other equipment of the vehicle which is not an inherent part of the latter. The front wall 10, of the casing is in the present instance, hinged as indicated at 11, to permit access to be gained to the interior'of the cas ing at the option of the user and especially for the purpose of changing advertising matter in a manner hereinafter set forth. The front wall 10, is provided with two or more openings 12, each of which has mounted thereover, a transparent enclosure 13, which may consist of panes of glass, sheets of mica or like material. Mounted on the inner face of the front wall 10, in proximity to the open ings 12, are guides 14 which extend almost the entire length of the casing. Mounted on the guides are flat springs 15, above and below the openings for a purpose hereinafter set forth. The rear wall of the casing, may also be provided with openings through which the advertising plates, hereinafter described, may be visualized. Mounted on the inner face of the rear wall are two guides 36, and above and below mounted parallel with the guides 36, are springs 86. To prevent lateral displacen'ient the free ends of the springs are bifurcated asindicated at 36 in Figure 1. btuds 36 are mounted in the casing and slide in the bifurcations of the springs.

The casing is equipped near the bottom thereof with a platform 16, the ends of which are secured to the ends of the casing.

Fixedly mounted in the bottom of the easing 9, subjacent the platform 16, is a shaft 18, which in the present instance, is shown to be of circular configuration in cross section and slidably receives a carriage 19. The carriage 19, is of paneldike formation and is provided with openings 20, in the ends thereof, through which the shaft extends. Said shaft passes longitudinally through the Calllasm .Qn Hme It is to be understood.

the carriage will be moved approximately its entire length on the shaft 18, within the casing. In order to move the carriage in the 'asing, suitable driving mechanism is provided which is herein shown to consist of a pair of sprocket wheels 21, which are journaled on the bottom of the casing 9, underlying the shaft 18, as illustrated to advantage in Figures 1, and 3. The sprocket wheels 21, have a sprocket chain 32, trained thercover which carries a hearing :53. The bearing 23, is adapted for engagement in a channel 2 1, which is formed in the carriage 19. Although the channel is in the present instance shown to be at one end of the carriage, nevertheless, it is to be understood that it may be formed at any intermediate point of the carriage end to correspond with different oper ating conditions. The diameter of the sprocket wheels 21, is smaller than the width of the carriage to prevent the hearing from accidentally leaving the channel. The driving sprocket wheel 21, is equipped with a ratchet 26, which is constantly engaged by a spring pressed pawl 2i, whereby the sprocket chain is efi'ective when the rotatable shaft 35, is operated in one direction, moven'ient of the shaft in the opposite direction being inel'l'ective to move the chain.

The casing S) is divided into two compartments by a vertical partition 27 which rises upwardly from the platform 16, approximately midway the ends of the latter. Each of the compartments is adapted for the reception of a plurality of advertising plates 28, which are superimposed on the platform 16. Upon reference to Figure 3, of the drawing it will be noted that the aggregate of the plates 28, in either compartment of a width in excess of the width of the platform 16, hence the outside plates of the compartment rest upon the ledges formed by the upper margins of the carriage 19. It will he noted that the carriage is provided with recesses in the terminals thereof which complement the platform 16.

The lower margin of each of the advertising plates 28, is recessed, approximately midway its ends, as indicated at- 29, the outer edges of the recesses provide inclined faces, the inner ends terminate in a lug or abutment 30, which is adapted to be engaged by fingers 31, carried by arms 32, which latter are pivotally mounted in the carriage 19. The finger-carrying ends of the arms 32, are norm ally urged upwardly above the top of the carriage 19 and platform 16, by springs 33 which are secured to the sides of the carriage 19, as illustrated to advantage in Figure 5. lVhen the arms 32, are pressed downwardly in the carriage against the resistance of the springs 33, the fingers 31, lie in complemental recesses 34 which are formed in the sides of the carriage 19. To prevent binding of the plates, when moving from one compartment to the other,

one terminal of each plate is flexed as indicated at 28 and portions of the opposite terminal as indicated at It is of course understood that 28 may be flexed outwardly from the body of the plate when an advertisiue card is inserted or removed from the plate. The partition 27 is narrower than the width of the carriage 19, to permit the plates 28 to move in front of the partition and to the rear of the latter when being transferred from one compartment to the other.

In use of this device it is apparent that the sprocket chain 22, may be operated in any desired manner. In the present instance, however, I have shown the same in engagement with a rotatable shaft 35, which is adapted to be placed in connection with a moving part of the vehicle in which the casing is mounted. lVhen the drive shaft is rotated in the proper direction (as vehicle goes forward) the sprocket chainis rotated and the carriage 19, is moved on the shaft- 18, by reason of the bearing 23, engaged in the carriage channel 24. F or instance in Figure '7, of the drmving, it is apparent that the run of the sprocket chain. moves the bearing 23, in the carriage channel 2 1, so as to urge the carriage toward the right of the casing. hen the hearing con'ipletes its run around the opposite sprocket the carriage has completed its run to the right and as the bearing 23, impinges against theopposite wall of the channel the carriage again starts to travel tmard the opposite end of the casing. During this cycle of operation one of the fingers 31, engages the lug or abutment 30, of the front outermost advertising plate in the left compartment of the casing and transfers it, against the resistance of the springs 15, to the C(JHIPZLltlIlBDt at the right side of the casing. As the carriage reaches its rightmost position in the casing the rear finger 31, engages the lug or abutment, 30, of the rear outermost advertising plate in the right compartment of the casing and transfers it, against the resistance of the springs 36 to the compartment at the left side of the casing. The advertising plates in the right compartment are continually urged rearwardly by springs 15 and the advertising plates in the left C'Ollll'JtlltlHGlliJ are continually urged frontwardly by springs 36' consequently when the carriage moves to the right or left side of the casing it carries a plate with it. It is apparent that this operation is continuous so long as the machine is in motion.

In order that the advertisingplates may be visible at night, it is preferred to equip the casing, at the ends thereof with electric lights 37 which may be arranged in circuit with the vehicle lights. Reflectors 38, are mounted in back of the lamps to concentrate the light rays on the plates.

In order to limit the extent of movement of the advertising plat-es at the ends of the casing, stops 39, are mounted on the platform 16, near the ends of the casing, in superimposed relation to auxiliary plate supports 39. Said supports 39 retain the plates in the desired plane of movement, in a main-- fest manner.

It is of course to be understood that the advertising plates 28, are shown for the purpose of illustration only and may carry either integral or detachable advertising indicia. Furthermore, the indicia may appear .on either or both faces of the plates, depending upon whether the casing is equipped with transparent openings in one face or in both faces thereof, but the casing may be other wise used with openings in both the front and back. v

It is to be understood that the device herein illustrated and described is a preferred embodiment of the invention and I am aware that various changes may be made therein Within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

VVhat is claimed is:

1. An advertising exhibitor including a casing equipped with a plat-form, a carriage slidably mounted in the casing beneath the platform the sides of which extend into parallelism with the lateral margins of the platform, a group of plates mounted on said platform, and means to move the plates from the platform into engagement with said sides of the carriage whereby movement of the carriage in one direction operates to simultaneously move one of the plates carried thereby.

2. An advertising exhibitor including a casing divided into compartments, a platform mounted in said casing and extendlng longitudinally through the casmg, a carriage operatively mounted in the casing beneath said platform and having the sides thereof projected upwardly to lie flush with the top of the platform, plates mounted in each compartment and superimposed on the platform, and means to successively move the plates in each compartment from the platform to the carriage.

3. An advertising exhibitor including a casing divided into compartments, a platform fixedly mounted in the casing and extending the length of the latter, a carriage movably mounted in the casing adjacent the platform, means in the casing to successively urge said plates from the platform to the carriage for transfer by the latter, and means to move the plates from the carriage to the platform.

4. An advertising exhibitor including a casing divided into compartments, the floor of which compartment is spaced from the side walls of the casing, means mounted in the casing, embracing the opposite sides of the floor of the compartments and movable from a position subjacent one compartment to a position subjacent the other compartment, a group of plates mounted on the floor of each compartment, and means to constantly move the plates from the floor to said means and from said means back to the floor during the movement of the means in the casing.

.ALBERT JOHN KAUFFMAN. 

